In a communication network, two or more data processing units (DPU) are interconnected to each other. This network of DPUs can be used to exchange resources among different data processing units. For example, the user of a first DPU can share an application, a database, or a peripheral device that is stored at a second DPU. Examples of communication networks that facilitate the functionalities mentioned above may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a general packet radio service (GPRS) network, and the Internet. The DPU can be a computer, a cellular phone, a walkie-talkie, a satellite phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a radio transmitter, a microprocessor or any other computational device that needs one or more resources to function.
In the communication network, the various DPUs can be classified broadly into three categories, based on the functionalities offered by them. These three categories include a core data processing unit, a manager data processing unit, and a data processing unit. The core data processing unit monitors the functioning of the manager data processing units. The manager data processing unit provides various network services to one or more data processing units. The network services provided by the manager data processing units may be Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAMP) services and other services that needed by the DPUs to function efficiently.
A failure at a manager data processing unit can cause disruption of OAMP services to the one or more data processing units. In order to provide uninterrupted OAMP services to the one or more data processing units, these one or more data processing units should be allocated to at least one active manager data processing unit. Various methods are known in the art for allocating the data processing units to the active manager data processing units. One such method involves the use of a redundant manager data processing unit or a redundant server. According to this method, a main manager data processing unit provides OAMP services to all data processing units. A redundant manager data processing unit is also deployed, in addition to the main manager data processing unit. The redundant manager data processing unit acts as a backup to the main manager data processing unit. In the event of a failure at the main manager data processing unit, the redundant manager data processing unit provides OAMP services to the data processing units. This method produces reasonably good results for small communication networks, but results in overloading of the main manager data processing units in the case of large communication networks. Hence, it is not feasible to deploy this method in relatively large communication networks. Further, if the redundant manager data processing unit has a breakdown while the main manager data processing unit is under maintenance, OAMP services to all the data processing units remain disrupted until the time when at least one of the main manager data processing units, or the redundant manager data processing unit, recovers. This results in a complete breakdown of the communication network.
Another method for managing the data processing units in the communication network is by the manual allocation of the data processing units in the event of a breakdown of a manager data processing unit. According to this method, in the event of the failure of the manager data processing unit, the data processing units are manually allocated by a network operator to the remaining active manager data processing units. This method involves significant manual intervention and often results in long delays in OAMP services being provided to the data processing units.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements, to help to improve an understanding of embodiments of the present invention.